Fishing in Arklow
A Fisherman when he goes out to fish has a hard life. He is looking for what he cannot see.
In winter time he goes out about 2 hours before sunset to take up a position to cast his nets.
At sunset he casts his nets and just after dark he looks at them by hawling in about 10. fathom of the nets and works judgement by so doing.
If he got a dozen fish that time he knows the next time if the fish is working he may get more. If so he still leaves the nets there, if less he hawls away.
He almost gets the same hardship by getting more as he does in getting plenty. It's a cold life always in the water. Everything you handle is wet.
At Herring fishing in the summer time off the coat of Cork and Waterford they work 1 1/4 miles of nets 8 fathom deep and it is hard work.
Those months they fish 20 miles off the coast, and later on in the year they fish off Dublin and Louth and